Stewart Wolpin

Waiting for Napoleon
April 30, 2008

Anynet. Aquos Link. Bravia Theatre Sync. Easylink. EZ-Sync. NetCommand. Regza Link. RIHD. Simplink.

Brand names for unified multicomponent remote-control systems, right?

Nope. They're lies.

In case you don't recognize the names, they are company-specific schemes enabling HDMI-connected components to talk to each other. Press "play" on a compatible DVD player, for instance, and the HDMI-connected A/V receiver and HDTV automatically switch to their correct settings.

But these clever trademarked sobriquets imply that each is a proprietary system, that only connected components from the same manufacturer speak the same digital language.

But these are not proprietary systems. They all converse in CEC, Consumer Electronics Control, a standardized set of HDMI-enabled control protocols.

According to Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing, CEC's caretaker, CEC was a gift from Philips, which developed the universal control protocols "a long time ago." The idea was to create a universal control system that would be included in everyone's HDMI-enabled gear. Gear would be easier to use, consumers could eliminate that Jenga-like pile of remote controls on their coffee tables, and they'd buy more gear. Everybody's happy.

Unfortunately, no one was obliged to adhere to this altruistic intention. There's no CEC czar to force manufacturers to comply with mandatory industrywide adoption of CEC protocols.

As a result, chaos. It's every manufacturer for itself. Instead of a universal system, we get a control Tower of Babel, or at least the implication of one since each manufacturer has decided on its own name for the same set of protocols. Self-interest trumps community interest once again.

The irony is manufacturers are exacerbating the original problem. By adding yet another mysteriously named technology, they've increased, not decreased, component complexity. And component complexity is, besides price, mainstream buyers' prime barrier to buying high-tech A/V gear.

And through the decades, U.S. consumers have exhibited a stubborn refusal to buy single-branded systems regardless of how chatty the components are with each other. Rack systems disappeared 20 years ago for a reason. Contrarian consumers like to mix and match components and are just as likely to get screaming mad if they sense some not-so subtle coercion to buy all their A/V eggs from one basket.

But what, I hear you asking, exactly, is CEC?

Glad you asked. CEC is defined in the original HDMI specification, but not fully specified until HDMI 1.2a. CEC includes 15 commands divided into two groups: consumer controls (9) and system features (6), or background commands the end user never sees. These are:

One-Touch Play: Allows a device to be played and become the active source with a single button press.

System Standby: Enables the user to switch all devices to standby with one button press.

One-Touch Record: Offers What You See Is What You Record (WYSIWYR); whatever is shown on the TV screen is recorded on a selected recording device.

Timer Programming: Allows the user to program the timers in a recording device from an EPG running on a TV or set-top box.

Deck Control: Enables a device to control (e.g. play, fast forward, et al) and interrogate a playback device.

Tuner Control: Allows a device to control the tuner of another device.

Device Menu Control: Enables a device to control the menu of another device by passing through user interface commands.

RemoteControlPass Through: Enables remote control commands to be passed through to other devices within the system.

System Audio Control: Allows an audio amplifier or receiver to be used with the TV. The volume can be controlled using any remote control of any suitably equipped device in the system.

System Features: Device OSD Name Transfer: Enables devices to upload their preferred OSD name to the TV. The TV can then use this name in any menu associated with that device.

Device Power Status: Allows the current power status of a device to be discovered.

OSD Display: Enables a device to use the onscreen display of the TV to display text strings.

Routing Control: Allows the control of CEC Switches for streaming of a new source device.

System Information: Queries the system to determine device addresses and language.

Vendor Specific Commands: Allows a set of vendor-defined commands to be used between devices of that vendor.

Audio Rate Control: Allows an amplifier to fractionally increase or decrease the playback rate of an audio source.

Any manufacturer that includes CEC capabilities in any piece of equipment must include the first two controls. That's it. Two out of 15.

Theoretically, these two mandated commands will work with CEC-capable gear from two different manufacturers, regardless of what the control system is branded. But the manufacturers intent on selling single-brand systems aren't going to tell their retailers this, retailers wouldn't know how to tout it if they did know, and a consumer wouldn't know to even ask because the proprietary brand name for the controls imply a lack of interoperability.

Ain't life grand?

Venuti and the HDMI founders would like two things. First, to expand the list of mandatory controls. Not all 15, but a "meaningful" core group.

Second, and most importantly, Venuti wants a branded CEC logo. Consumers would then know that two pieces of equipment from different manufacturers can talk to each other.

Once a unified logo is agreed upon, an industrywide education program can begin so consumers understand the potential. THEN manufacturers can add additional control functions to differentiate their CEC devices.

History tells us that anarchy is cured only by dictatorship. In society that's not so good. In business it's the only way. We need a CEC Napoleon to step in and ruthlessly dictate how CEC should be implemented.

Fat chance.

In a world ruled by capitalistic self-interest, altruism and the common good have about as much chance of surviving as a fawn floundering in a pool of piranhas. As such, it'll be a long time before my Brand A DVD player will be on speaking terms with my Brand B HDTV and Brand C A/V receiver.

Posted by Stewart Wolpin on April 30, 2008 | Comments (2)